We are all wired differently, some of us will be better at long distance cardio while others will do much better at short sharper interval training. Regardless of these two facts there is one thing we all have In common, and that is we where all born to move.

One of the great things about interval training is that it can be highly effective for a beginners but also to the more advanced individual. Our team of personal trainers at Square Mile Fitness have come up with a few tips on how to effectively include interval training (HIIT) into your current workout program.

The Benefits

Interval training is a fantastic way of getting into incredible shape, getting fit whist saving time in the process due to its great response within the body. The perfect interval program should deliver the following

Leave you feeling a mess but incredible after

Improve your conditioning over long and short distances

Better your bone density, lowering risk of injury

Burn a bucket load of calories

Last less that 35 minutes

Leave you burning fat even after your workout is over

More on interval training

Now even though HIIT (High intensity interval training) may seem easy on paper and the though of being in and out of the gym in less than an hour sounds awesome there is a catch, interval training is tough! HIIT will challenge you both physically and mentally, some days you may even feel to pull the pin during your workout, but don’t, keep going and you’ll reap the many rewards that interval training has to offer. On the other hand as this style or workout utilizes many different rest to work ratios you’ll notice that the sessions are over before you know it, this defiantly beats the mental slog of running at a steady pace for 60 plus minutes right?

How To Get Started With Interval Training

If currently you do on include HIIT within your workout plan here are a few pointer on how to get you started. If exercise is very new to you and you do not feel comfortable running on the treadmill at high speeds you can start with a walking/ jog protocol. Try to incorporate interval training into your plan 2 times per week to help build your confidence and fitness levels. To mix things up try to alternate between incline walks then jogging flat. As a beginner you should utilize longer rest periods up to three times the amount of your working sets. You can use this approach to cardio on many forms of equipment like the bike or cross trainer to shake thins up a little.

Short Intense Intervals

If your primary goal is to improve conditioning or peak power then shorter intervals with less rest will work a treat. This sort of workout can have a great anabolic response, help you to build lean muscle and get ripped!

Here are a few examples of Interval training using shorter rest periods.

Sample workout 1

8x 10 seconds fast with 50 seconds recovery

6x 15 seconds fast with 45 seconds recovery

4x 20 seconds fast with 60 seconds recovery

Sample workout 2

7x 15 seconds fast with 75 seconds recovery

5x 25 seconds fast with 90 seconds recovery

3x 30 seconds fast with 100 seconds recovery

Endurance based intervals

If on the other hand endurance is the goal hand but you would still like to improve speed whilst retaining muscle mass your go to can still be interval training.

Here are a few examples of some endurance Interval workouts

Sample workout 1

6x 35 seconds fast with 30 seconds recovery

5x 45 seconds fast with 30 seconds recovery

4x 60 seconds fast with 30 seconds recovery

Sample workout 2

5x 45 seconds fast with 45 seconds recovery

4x 60 seconds fast with 30 seconds recovery

3x 90 seconds fast with 60 seconds recovery

HIIT Training with weights

Sample workout 1

Exercise Reps/Sets Tempo Rest

A1 Squats 3×12-15 4010 30

A2 Lat pull-down 3×12-15 3010 30

B1 Leg curl 3×8-10 4010 30

B2 Chest press 3×10-12 3110 30

C1 Leg press 3×15-20 2010 30

C2 Seated row 3×15-20 2011 30

We hope this article has given you the motivation to safely try some interval training, if you have any questions please do get in touch.

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